US Treasury blocks key US journalists from G20 finance meeting in North Carolina

The US Treasury Department has refused press credentials to reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg for the Group of 20 finance ministers meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. The decision, announced without explanation, prevents the journalists from attending the three‑day finance forum that runs from Saturday to Tuesday.

Background to the exclusion

According to the The Times, the denied reporters include veteran finance correspondent Alan Rappeport, who has covered Treasury affairs since 2017. By contrast, another Times journalist, Berlin bureau chief Jim Tankersley, received a credential and will be present. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Associated Press the move “has nothing to do with point of view.”

“Excluding specific reporters and entire news organisations is a disservice to the public and an assault on press freedoms that we strongly condemn.”

The decision arrives amid a broader pattern of media restrictions under President Donald Trump's administration, including a recent declaration by the Defense Department that its press office is a classified space, and a Pentagon demand that reporters accept government‑imposed work limits.

Implications for press freedom

The exclusion has drawn criticism from media organisations that argue the move undermines transparency and public accountability. Bloomberg News described the denial as “undermining media freedom and public accountability,” while the Wall Street Journal declined to comment. The incident highlights growing tension between the administration and independent journalism, raising questions about how future economic briefings will be covered.

What comes next

The G20 finance gathering will continue without the barred reporters, but the broader G20 summit, scheduled for December at Doral, Florida on President Donald Trump's golf club, will likely face heightened scrutiny. Observers expect the Treasury to face renewed calls for clearer credentialing policies, and the episode may fuel further debate over the administration’s approach to press access, especially as fiscal policy discussions, such as those surrounding Treasury revenue concerns, dominate the agenda.